After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13
Some thirty years ago, Subaru aired what is viewed as one of the most effective car commercials ever made. Unlike most ads, the commercial did not start by highlighting the features or look or performance of a Subaru. In fact they started showing one of their competitor’s cars, a Volvo, crashing into a wall in slow motion. Because the Volvo was so well-constructed, the passengers were not hurt. Only after that did they show their own car heading toward that same wall. The driver slammed on the brakes, stopping just inches away from the wall. The conclusion of the ad was this question: Would you prefer to live through wrecks, or not to get in wrecks in the first place?
When we are tempted to sin, God always gives us a route to overcome the temptation. We never have to give in to sin. Jesus was sorely tempted by Satan himself, yet He did not yield to the lures of the devil. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin’’ (Hebrews 4:15). But even better than resisting temptation successfully is not putting ourselves in a situation where we will be tempted. It is easier to avoid a sin to which you are never tempted in the first place. Jesus instructed us to pray, not just for the strength to overcome temptation, but to be led away from it before it happens. We will never be sinless in this life, but we will sin less if we avoid being tempted.
